What size of battery do you need?

Keep your food safe

Keep the doors shut. A closed fridge and freezer hold their cold far longer than most people expect.

After that, throw away meat, fish, dairy and cooked food that has been above 5 °C for more than two hours. A cheap fridge thermometer takes the guesswork out. Times are from US food safety guidance and are shorter in a hot Maltese kitchen.

If someone at home depends on a device

• Check the watts on the device label. Oxygen concentrators often use 300 W or more, so they need a large battery.
• Buy a pure sine wave unit. Cheaper "modified sine" inverters can damage medical devices.
• Ask your supplier whether the device has an approved battery pack. That is often the simplest option.
• Keep the backup charged all the time and don't use it for anything else.
• Ask a neighbour or relative to check in when the power goes in summer. Heat is a real danger for older people.

What to look for in Malta

• LiFePO4 battery. Lasts thousands of charges and copes better with summer heat. Still keep it out of direct sun and off the roof.
• UK-style 3-pin sockets (Type G). Many units are sold with EU sockets, which means adapters for everything.
• UPS or pass-through mode. It switches over by itself when the power drops, so the router and fridge never notice.
• Solar input. A folding panel on the balcony recharges it during a long daytime cut.
• Already have rooftop solar? Standard grid-tied panels switch off during a cut for safety. You need a battery system with a backup function to use them.
• REWS has run grant schemes for home solar and batteries. Check rews.org.mt for what's open now.